Does anyone know any quick facts about gargoyles please?
1. A roof spout in the form of a grotesque or fantastic creature projecting from a gutter to carry rainwater clear of the wall. [from Old French gargouille gargoyle, throat; see gargle] Gargoyles (in the strict sense) are carvings on the outside of buildings designed to direct water from the roof away from the base of the walls… …Some gargoyles are undecorated but many are zoomorphic or anthropomorphic – often very imaginative and/or grotesque. This has led to the term ‘gargoyle’ being applied more widely to any grotesque carving in medieval buildings.” Gargoyles in the strict plumbing sense of the word (see Etymology) have been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks or before. They became very popular on architecture in Medieval times, with a resurgence in the Victorian era, and to some extent more recently. Other periods have none or few carved ones. Saxon churches (a little before Medieval times) that I’ve seen usually have troughs but whether these are original or later ad
